Why family organizations?

The family is the fundamental unit in society and central to God’s plan for our happiness.

“It should be clearly understood that Satan will do all in his power to ruin any plan which calls for organizing families. He fully realizes that the success of the Church lies in family organization. If he can destroy the spirit of a family home evening, upset the harmony between family members, foil plans for reunions, projects, etc., he honestly believes he can still win. Families which are well organized are the most efficient organization on earth to destroy his efforts. (The Savior, The Priesthood, and You, p. 171)

How can family organizations help us tend to our roots and branches?

Family organizations are a wonderful way to tend our roots (ancestors) and our branches (living relatives). Family organizations can include activities such as working on family history for ancestors or living relatives, temple service as well as family reunions, family service, and family preparedness. Family organizations can hasten temple and family history work. Elder Allen F. Packer said, “Temple and family history work is part of living the gospel at home. It should be a family activity far more than a Church activity.” The Thomas Tolman Family Organization has achieved extraordinary results in genealogy, family history, and temple work that would have otherwise not been possible without a family organization.

More Ways to Get Involved

Learn about the Thomas Tolman family reunions over the years.

Tolman Tolman Family Organization reunions were typically held every three years. Lagoon, the amusement park in Farmington, Utah, was a favorite venue for family reunions. Reunions were also held at city parks such as Reese Pioneer Park, Liberty Park, Bountiful City Park, and Roy Municipal Park.

At the 1951 family reunion, the family organization reaffirmed the organization’s name as the Nathan Tolman Family Organization, a decision that was made back in 1935 when David R. Tolman called a meeting to reorganize the family.

Picture: The family gathered at the 1951 family reunion in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

During the 1953 Nathan Tolman Golden Anniversary Family Reunion, a temple excursion was planned at the Logan Temple with an inspirational meeting following the first session. The reunion activities were held at Reese Pioneer Park in Brigham City, Utah. This reunion also marked the 100th anniversary of Benjamin Tolman II and used the occasion to honor this relative.

The 1963 Thomas Tolman Family Reunion was held at Liberty Park. Temple sessions were arranged for Friday evening followed by Saturday activities which included a business meeting and games in park. DeVon Mecham arranged for name tags identifying family line to Cyrus, Judson, or Benjamin Tolman.

Pictured: Nametags similar to the 1963 reunion were created to celebrate the Centennial Reunion in 2003

The 1966 Thomas Tolman Family Reunion was held at the Granite Cultural Center in Salt Lake City. The reunion included a special endowment session at the Logan Temple, genealogy displays, a business meeting, food, games and movies. The highlight of this reunion was a tour of the Granite Mountain Records Vault and a special banquet to honor Fred and Arlene Tolman for all of their work to gather Tolman family records in the eastern part of the United States.

The 1969 Thomas Tolman Family Reunion was a three-day event that included roadshows at Kingsbury Hall, a full-length play at Pioneer Memorial Theatre, and M-Men Gleaner Banquet and Centennial Ball at the “new” Salt Palace. The traditional Friday evening family temple session was held at the Salt Lake Temple. Saturday’s activities were held at Bountiful City Park and included lunch, games (softball, volleyball, tennis, and horseshoes), business meeting, inspirational meeting, dinner, swimming, and evening entertainment.

The 1972 Thomas Tolman Family Reunion included this invitation with a unique number that corresponded to a prize that was claimed following the registration process in the cultural hall on Saturday morning. The Friday evening temple session was followed by a family business meeting. Saturday’s activities included an ancestral get-acquainted game, displays (Books of Remembrance, poetry, music, compositions, painting, sewing, art, needlework, etc.), films for children, a devotional, program “It’s a Modern Miracle,” games and sports (high jump, swimming, relays, horseshoes, volleyball, baseball, touch football, etc.), and a talent show.

The 1975 Thomas Tolman Family Reunion returned to Lagoon and included tours of temple square and the family home, endowment sessions at the Ogden Temple, a family business meeting, a talent show, and the rides and entertainment at Lagoon. 125 cousins went through one or more temple sessions and over 350 attended breakfast on Saturday morning. The reunion also included a special presentation entitled “Our Heritage” which was produced by the Harold and Genevieve Hofhine family. The presentation involved poetry, original words to familiar tunes, and a script from the time of Sir. Thomas Tolman to our pioneer brothers-Cyrus, Judson, and Benjamin. Each generation brought forth a new grandfather in period costumes

The dedication of the Thomas Tolman Family Genealogy Center and familiy home was the highlight of the 1978 family reunion held on 6-8 July. Thursday was set aside for temple work and tours of historic and Church sites. The dedication of the family home was held on Friday at the Val Verda Stake Center and attended by 646 cousins. Elder S. Dilworth Young gave the dedicatory prayer and offered remarks along with other family leaders. The afternoon was occupied with lunch at the Bountiful Park, games, swimming, and tours of the home. Thomas B.Tolman provided reunion souvenirs including bumper stickers with the inscription, “You are following a descendant of Thomas Tolman, who came to America in 1630.” Saturday was reserved for a day of fun at Lagoon. In the final accounting, over a thousand people had attended the reunion at one event or another.

The 1980 Thomas Tolman Family Reunion was held at the Bountiful City Park. During the business meeting included discussions of families organizing and holding family reunions. Activities at the park included lawn games, softball, touch football, volleyball, swimming, and ice skating. For the week leading up to the Saturday reunion activities, cousins were encouraged to visit church history sites, the Church Historian’s Office, the Genealogical Library, the State Capital, the Museum of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, and the Thursday evening Mormon Tabernacle Choir practice

Reunions were not held at the Thomas Tolman ancestral level since 1980, however 2003 marked the 100-year anniversary of the Thomas Tolman Family Organization as well as the 25th anniversary of the Thomas Tolman Family Genealogy Center so a reunion at this level was in order. The reunion events spanned four days from Wednesday, 25 June to Saturday, 28 June. The events including genealogy classes, family temple sessions at the Bountiful Temple, genealogy displays, and pioneer games and prizes at the Tolman Park in Bountiful including a dedication service of a Tolman Park Plaque to honor Judson Tolman and his family that owned the land. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve offered a special fireside address at the Val Verde Stake Center to help commemorate the 100-year anniversary.

Learn about the Thomas Tolman family reunions over the years.

Tolman Tolman Family Organization reunions were typically held every three years. Lagoon, the amusement park in Farmington, Utah, was a favorite venue for family reunions. Reunions were also held at city parks such as Reese Pioneer Park, Liberty Park, Bountiful City Park, and Roy Municipal Park.

At the 1951 family reunion, the family organization reaffirmed the organization’s name as the Nathan Tolman Family Organization, a decision that was made back in 1935 when David R. Tolman called a meeting to reorganize the family.

Picture: The family gathered at the 1951 family reunion in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

During the 1953 Nathan Tolman Golden Anniversary Family Reunion, a temple excursion was planned at the Logan Temple with an inspirational meeting following the first session. The reunion activities were held at Reese Pioneer Park in Brigham City, Utah. This reunion also marked the 100th anniversary of Benjamin Tolman II and used the occasion to honor this relative.

The 1963 Thomas Tolman Family Reunion was held at Liberty Park. Temple sessions were arranged for Friday evening followed by Saturday activities which included a business meeting and games in park. DeVon Mecham arranged for name tags identifying family line to Cyrus, Judson, or Benjamin Tolman.

Pictured: Nametags similar to the 1963 reunion were created to celebrate the Centennial Reunion in 2003

The 1966 Thomas Tolman Family Reunion was held at the Granite Cultural Center in Salt Lake City. The reunion included a special endowment session at the Logan Temple, genealogy displays, a business meeting, food, games and movies. The highlight of this reunion was a tour of the Granite Mountain Records Vault and a special banquet to honor Fred and Arlene Tolman for all of their work to gather Tolman family records in the eastern part of the United States.

The 1969 Thomas Tolman Family Reunion was a three-day event that included roadshows at Kingsbury Hall, a full-length play at Pioneer Memorial Theatre, and M-Men Gleaner Banquet and Centennial Ball at the “new” Salt Palace. The traditional Friday evening family temple session was held at the Salt Lake Temple. Saturday’s activities were held at Bountiful City Park and included lunch, games (softball, volleyball, tennis, and horseshoes), business meeting, inspirational meeting, dinner, swimming, and evening entertainment.

The 1972 Thomas Tolman Family Reunion included this invitation with a unique number that corresponded to a prize that was claimed following the registration process in the cultural hall on Saturday morning. The Friday evening temple session was followed by a family business meeting. Saturday’s activities included an ancestral get-acquainted game, displays (Books of Remembrance, poetry, music, compositions, painting, sewing, art, needlework, etc.), films for children, a devotional, program “It’s a Modern Miracle,” games and sports (high jump, swimming, relays, horseshoes, volleyball, baseball, touch football, etc.), and a talent show.

The 1975 Thomas Tolman Family Reunion returned to Lagoon and included tours of temple square and the family home, endowment sessions at the Ogden Temple, a family business meeting, a talent show, and the rides and entertainment at Lagoon. 125 cousins went through one or more temple sessions and over 350 attended breakfast on Saturday morning. The reunion also included a special presentation entitled “Our Heritage” which was produced by the Harold and Genevieve Hofhine family. The presentation involved poetry, original words to familiar tunes, and a script from the time of Sir. Thomas Tolman to our pioneer brothers-Cyrus, Judson, and Benjamin. Each generation brought forth a new grandfather in period costumes

The dedication of the Thomas Tolman Family Genealogy Center and familiy home was the highlight of the 1978 family reunion held on 6-8 July. Thursday was set aside for temple work and tours of historic and Church sites. The dedication of the family home was held on Friday at the Val Verda Stake Center and attended by 646 cousins. Elder S. Dilworth Young gave the dedicatory prayer and offered remarks along with other family leaders. The afternoon was occupied with lunch at the Bountiful Park, games, swimming, and tours of the home. Thomas B.Tolman provided reunion souvenirs including bumper stickers with the inscription, “You are following a descendant of Thomas Tolman, who came to America in 1630.” Saturday was reserved for a day of fun at Lagoon. In the final accounting, over a thousand people had attended the reunion at one event or another.

The 1980 Thomas Tolman Family Reunion was held at the Bountiful City Park. During the business meeting included discussions of families organizing and holding family reunions. Activities at the park included lawn games, softball, touch football, volleyball, swimming, and ice skating. For the week leading up to the Saturday reunion activities, cousins were encouraged to visit church history sites, the Church Historian’s Office, the Genealogical Library, the State Capital, the Museum of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers, and the Thursday evening Mormon Tabernacle Choir practice

Reunions were not held at the Thomas Tolman ancestral level since 1980, however 2003 marked the 100-year anniversary of the Thomas Tolman Family Organization as well as the 25th anniversary of the Thomas Tolman Family Genealogy Center so a reunion at this level was in order. The reunion events spanned four days from Wednesday, 25 June to Saturday, 28 June. The events including genealogy classes, family temple sessions at the Bountiful Temple, genealogy displays, and pioneer games and prizes at the Tolman Park in Bountiful including a dedication service of a Tolman Park Plaque to honor Judson Tolman and his family that owned the land. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin of the Quorum of the Twelve offered a special fireside address at the Val Verde Stake Center to help commemorate the 100-year anniversary.